Unpopular opinion: You should be wearing foundation every day
PUBLISHED ONNovember 13, 2019 9:38 AMBySmita DeSouza
Full disclosure: I wear foundation every time I step out of the house.
Even if it’s to go to the kopitiam and have lunch or dinner or while I am running errands on the weekends.
I’ll choose different levels of coverage—sheer, medium, full— depending on the occasion, but unless I am working out, you will rarely find me without foundation.
When I tell people this, I usually get one of the following replies: “Isn’t that bad for your skin?” “Doesn’t makeup clog your pores?” “You don’t need foundation.” “Doesn’t your skin need to breathe?”
Short answer: no. We’ve been conditioned to think that makeup in general—and foundation, in particular—is bad for your skin.
And that may have been true 20 or 30 years ago.
But with the arrival of new formulations that cater to different skin types including acne-prone and sensitive skin, you can wear foundation every single day of your life as long as you are cleansing your makeup thoroughly at the end of the day.
WHY WEAR FOUNDATION EVERYDAY?
I don’t wear foundation because I have something to hide—I have gone a whole week without any makeup before. I love makeup, and I love wearing and playing with makeup.
But there is a more serious reason as to why I wear foundation every day: when I layer my foundation over my sunscreen in the morning, I am adding an extra layer of protection between my skin and harmful UV rays of the sun.
I’d also like to think that it acts as a layer to keep out pollution and other environmental stressors.
A couple of years ago, when I was using a prescription retinol product that made my skin sensitive to photo damage, my derm told me a full coverage foundation would act as a second layer of protection from the sun.
American celebrity aesthetician and founder of her eponymous skin care collection, Renée Rouleau, shares the same opinion.
In a Refinery29 interview, she is quoted saying, “I like to educate my clients to think of makeup as a skincare product.”
She recommends wearing foundation every day “as an insurance policy” since most people don’t apply the recommended amount of sunscreen and this extra layer of makeup acts as an additional barrier between the skin and the sun’s UV rays that cause signs of premature ageing.
Dr Karen Soh, Medical Director at Privé Clinic, Singapore also agrees that a foundation can act as an additional layer of protection against environmental damage as long as it doesn’t contain any toxic ingredients.
However, she cautions that while foundations with sunscreen can protect the skin from sun damage, they don’t do much to save the skin from harmful effects of pollution.
I still, however, wear a full coverage foundation when visiting a city with high levels of pollution.
I’ve been doing this for a few years and found that it actually helps my skin.
But this could be because whenever I wear a full-coverage foundation—or any foundation, really—I make sure to thoroughly double cleanse and this ensures that other impurities are removed as well.
Dr Karen agrees, and adds that on top of cleansing, you also have to nourish skin with antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, niacinamide and beeswax.
If you’re still concerned about foundation being bad for your skin, there is a range of new foundations that are infused with skincare ingredients to keep your skin healthy.
Now you can get the coverage you need while also nourishing your skin as you wear foundation through the day. Read on to find one that’s best for you.
STILA HIDE & CHIC FLUID FOUNDATION, $56
With Irish sea moss that improves skin texture and levels of hydration, Plant Collagen Extract from a combination of five roots and vegetables to firm up the skin, and Baobab seed extract that helps defend skin against impurities, you can expect even better skin while wearing this foundation.
Plus, the formula is long-wearing, humidity-proof, has a natural satin finish and won’t get cakey through the day.
CHARLOTTE TILBURY AIRBRUSH FLAWLESS FOUNDATION, $76
Not only is this foundation sweat-, humidity-, water-proof and transfer-resistant, it also feels fresh and cool when you apply it.
Plus, it boosts levels of hydration, protects the skin from everyday pollutants and reduces the appearance of pores and fine lines. What a winner!
CLINIQUE EVEN BETTER REFRESH HYDRATING AND REPAIRING MAKEUP FOUNDATION, $60
Clinique’s newest foundation is packed with hyaluronic acid that draws in moisture from the environment and locks it in to hydrate skin and plump skin; peptides that keep skin smooth, and salicylic acid that retexturises skin keeping it clear and bright.
It also offers full coverage with a natural finish, so it looks like your skin, just better.
PAT MCGRATH LABS SKIN FETISH SUBLIME PERFECTION FOUNDATION, $100
This lightweight, watery foundation goes on like second skin to give sheer to medium coverage with a satin finish.
It’s also infused with Vita-Serum Serum complex that helps preserve the skin’s natural defence barrier to minimise wrinkles.
The complex also helps stimulate natural production of hyaluronic acid and ceramides so skin is soft, plump and supple.
TARTE BABASSU FOUNDCEALER™ MULTI-TASKING FOUNDATION SPF 20, $60
A true makeup-skincare hybrid, this foundation not only has hydrating hyaluronic acid and antioxidant rich vitamin E, but also has sunflower seed oil, which is rich in fatty acids.
It also contains babassu, which has the same benefits as coconut oil but won’t clog your pores.
Blend it using a sponge or brush for medium buildable coverage with a radiant finish.
IT COSMETICS CC+ CREAM SPF50+, $62
While it doesn’t have the word “foundation” on the packaging, this product offers full coverage, hiding any imperfections, without looking cakey, so we like to think of it as a foundation.
It’s also got skin-nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, vitamins, hydrolysed collagen, peptides and niacin to ensure your skin radiant, flawless and supple through the day.
DIOR PRESTIGE LE MICRO FLUIDE TEINT DE ROSE, $155
Twenty micro-nutrients including potassium and omegas 3 and 6, vitamin E derived from the precious Rose de Granville along with gold-infused micro-pearls, work to restore and strengthen the skin’s natural defence barrier to revive dull, dehydrated and fatigued skin.
The foundation gives skin a luminous finish that looks glowy all day.
This article was first published in CLEO Singapore.
